Another goal is to develop powerful tools for serving this (and other) research
within the Beckman Institute. For example, one of the world's most advanced scanning
tunneling microscopy systems, and facilities for scanning force microscopy and near-field
scanning optical microscopy, enable researchers to observe and even create new forms
of nanostructures.

Efforts in self-organizing syntheses run parallel to solid-state electronics nanostructure
research and seek to understand scientific principles relating to the mechanisms
for assembly and function of mesoscale inorganic, organic, and biological molecules.
Research is underway in the self-assembly of organic molecules into nanostructures
and the use of supramolecular assemblies as templates for nanostructured semiconductors.
Researchers are also investigating possibilities to merge nanolithographic and chemical
synthetic techniques in the hope of controlling the formation of structured materials
from atomic to chip size.

Theoretical research on nanostructures relies on large computational resources and
has fostered the development of extensive computational tools and software used
for experiments, visualization, and CPU-intensive numerical operations. Also under
development is a multiscale approach to nanostructure simulation, using classical
differential equations that apply to the large scale of the chip size, and semiclassical
particle Monte Carlo methods for submicrometer sizes. For mesoscopic systems, the
group develops efficient algorithms to solve the Schrodinger equation and explores
quantum contributions to nanostructure resistence and capacitance. Attempts are
being made to expand the scope of the simulation toward biological systems. Additionally,
applicability of computer-aided design tools to simulate biological ion channels
has recently been demonstrated.

Molecular & Electronic Nanostructures Research Groups

3D Micro- and Nanosystems
This group is an interdisciplinary research group including chemists, chemical engineers,
physicists, biochemists, and materials scientists concerned with strategies for
assembling and studying 3D Micro- and Nanosystems.More on 3D Micro- and Nanosystems →

Autonomous Materials Systems
The Autonomous Materials Systems group is an interdisciplinary research group comprised
of chemists, engineers, and materials scientists concerned with strategies for designing
multifunctional materials systems that respond in an autonomic fashion.
More on Autonomous Materials Systems →

Computational Multiscale Nanosystems
This group approaches the design of nanosystems using computational methodologies
that involve multiple physics domains and multiple scales in time and space.
More on Computational Multiscale Nanosystems →

Nanoelectronics and Nanomaterials
The Nanoelectronics and Nanomaterials Group is developing and utilizing a
novel powerful suite of experimental and simulation tools for probing biological,
nanoelectronic and materials systems down to the atomic level.
More on Nanoelectronics and Nanomaterials →

Theoretical and Computational Biophysics
The Theoretical and Computational Biophysics group, an NIH Resource for Macromolecular
Modeling and Bionformatics, studies the structure and function of biopolymers and
biopolymer aggregates by theoretical and computational means.
More on Theoretical and Computational Biophysics →